1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to ammunition cans used to store ammunition, grenades, and other energetic devices, and, more particularly, to a safety valve for ammunition cans which can automatically vent cook-off gases from the ammunition can which are generated at elevated temperatures, such as encountered in fires and in desert environments.
2. Description of Related Art
A major concern in insensitive munitions is the packaging. In particular, the ammunition cans which store items such as ammunition, grenades and other energetic devices make an insensitive munition compliant assembly non-insensitive munitions compliant when placed in the ammunition can.
Specifically, military ammunition cans have an environmental seal that affects insensitive munitions when used in the ammunition cans in certain environments. In particular, when insensitive munitions cook off (generate gases at elevated temperatures to a pressure of 10 psig or more), the ammunition can does not have a means of venting these gases at elevated temperatures. Even with insensitive munitions compliant (cook off) energetic devices in an Ammunition Can, the ammunition can itself becomes an energetic device because it fragments when the energetic of its contents reach a detonation temperature. To avoid this phenomena, the ammunition can needs to be able to automatically vent in cases where it and its contents are exposed to elevated temperatures such as in a fire or in a desert environment.
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide a device for use with a standard ammunition can which can vent cook-off gases.
It is another object of the present invention to automatically vent gases from ammunition cans when exposed to elevated temperatures above the operating temperatures of the stored munitions.
It is yet another object of the present invention to prevent ammunition cans from turning into fragmenting projectiles if the vent holes or openings were not there to vent cook-off gases.